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nodded and even spoke to
her like one: “Can you find
your way home alone?”
In fact, the animal looked
quite human, Anni thought,
and shook her head, as if in
a trance. She concluded he
must be a shape-shifter. My
sister had always been the
more credulous of the two
of us. Legend had it that
shape-shifters were masters
of metamorphosis. They
could change their form at
will, be it to fish, fir tree, or
man.
“Have you hurt yourself?”
he asked, pointing at her
hands.
She bit her tongue to stop
herself from shaking her
head. On every side darkness
blocked her way.
In her head a chorus of
children’s voices shouted
the moor rhyme:
Child, dare to walk outside at
night,
Thinking yourself brave and
strong,
And our moor will take one
bite,
Silence, darkness, you’ll be
gone.
“Do you need a bandage?”
The shape-shifter came
closer.
“Forgive
me—
I’m pestering you with
questions.”
His bright voice sounded
friendly, respectful, and he
articulated every word with
the utmost precision, which
meant that he certainly
wasn’t from around there.
“Probably best that you
head for home.” His posture
was a trifle stooped, as if
a bow were in the offing;
had she met him under